Summary

China’s marriage rate hit a record low in 2024, with only 6.1 million marriages, a 20% drop from 2023 and the lowest since records began in 1986.

Rising costs, youth unemployment, changing gender roles, and a growing preference for single life contribute to the trend. Government incentives to boost marriage and birth rates have largely failed.

Social attitudes are shifting, with less family pressure to marry, skepticism over restrictive divorce laws, and calls for same-sex marriage recognition.

Experts warn this decline could accelerate China’s demographic and economic challenges.

  • partial_accumen@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    16 days ago

    Many commenters also cited the controversial introduction of a divorce cooling-off period in 2021, making them wary of the “easy entry and strict exit” for marriage.

    I had missed the introduction of this in 2021.

    “The law requires couples who are mutually seeking a divorce to wait for 30 days before formalising it. If the couples don’t show up for two appointments between 30 and 60 days after applying, their application is automatically cancelled.”

    “In February Chinese media reported fully booked appointment slots in Shenzhen, Shanghai and other cities, with some being sold by scalpers.”

    source

    That would certainly be a disincentive to get married if you could not get out of it if you needed to.

  • VitoRobles@lemmy.todayEnglish
    0·
    16 days ago

    Boost birth rates? Sure.

    Boost marriage? Uh why? You can do all the things without a piece of paper.

          • oce 🐆@jlai.luEnglish
            0·
            15 days ago

            It’s not overpopulation that is the problem, it’s overconsumption of natural resources. Population will not grow indefinitely, see the notion of demographic transition. It would possible to live sustainably with the estimated population peak if we respect consumptions quotas such as the 2 tones of CO2 per year per capita. Most developed country people are far above this though.

            • Miaou@jlai.luEnglish
              1·
              15 days ago

              Or we could have fewer people with higher living standards, humanity does not get extra points for maintaining a high body count.

  • SlopppyEngineer@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    16 days ago

    There are some rumours about this. A lot of women and their families expect the husband to have a car, house, well paying job and paying a five figure (in USD) bridal price, while preferably be below 30 years. With the economy as it is, few men qualify. It’s also expected from a lot of men to give his complete wage to the wife. Government goes along with that, and flavors the women in a divorce. Turns out a lot of guys just say f this, and don’t get married anymore.